Conference Registration is Now Open!

The National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) national conference, Leading the Way, will be held March 2-4, 2012, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown hotel. Please click here to register.

Keynote Speakers

Chris Haskell, M.S., ABD is a Special Lecturer and teacher educator at Boise State University as well as co-creator of 3D GameLab, a game-based learning management system. Haskell will discuss the evolution of the teacher, the changing nature of teacher education, and the dramatic shift of the educational paradigm.

Dr. Walter Bumphus is president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Ten years ago, he played a key role in the formation of NACCTEP. Dr. Bumphus will discuss the role of community colleges in teacher education then, now, and in the future.

Friday Forums (free to all paid attendees)

National Science Foundation Grant Opportunities for Community College Teacher Education Programs
In this interactive session, representatives from the National Science Foundation will share grant opportunities and ideas for developing a successful grant proposal.

Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance Learning

In this session, the presenters will share Web 2.0 tools that have been integrated into their education courses (online, hybrid, and face-to-face) to prepare students for the 21st century classroom.

Pre-registration is encouraged, please click here to register.

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NSF Program Director Celeste Carter, Student Board Member Robert Lombrana, and President Mary Belknap

Executive Board Meeting

In September, the NACCTEP Executive Board convened for the annual Fall Executive Board Meeting in Washington, D.C. for two full days of reports and planning. The Board met with guest representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), and American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Topics discussed included NSF grant funding opportunities for community colleges, legislative updates, membership recruitment and benefits, the Ambassador Program, and Association goals and priorities just to name a few.

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Robert Lombrana

Student Board Member

Please welcome Robert Lombrana as the new Student Board Member. Robert is a teacher education student at Jackson Community College in Jackson, Michigan. When Robert was asked the question, what advice would you give to a future teacher? He replied, “Never stop growing. The more you grow the more you can help others. Also, make sure you are going to love your job.”

Gloria Maldonado

Santa Rosa Junior College

Gloria wrote the following in her essay:

I worked as a volunteer room mother in each of my two son’s elementary classrooms. I enjoyed working with and helping students. Seeing the look of pride and accomplishment on their faces was priceless, and knowing that I helped them learn filled me with a deep sense of joy and pride. Over time my responsibilities at the school increased, including being elected to the office of treasurer of the PTA and occasionally serving on yard duty when the Principal needed me. As my connection to the school grew, I first started thinking about the possibility of going to college to acquire the knowledge, skills, and credential to be an elementary school teacher. However, this idea seemed only a dream: I was a homemaker and mother of two young boys; I worked part-time to help support our family. “Maybe when the kids are grown, I can become a teacher,” I thought, “but for now, it’s just not an option.” When my husband dies unexpectedly of a heart attack two years later, and I had to work full-time to keep our house and provide for my sons, any hope I had of pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher seemed to slip even further away.

I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in October 2006. Beating my cancer so that I could continue to live and take care of my kids became my life’s focus. I continued to work throughout most of my treatment - two surgeries, several sessions of chemotherapy and weeks of radiation-  because I had no other choice. I was the only provider for our family. Nearly five years later, I am cancer free. My health challenge with cancer is relevant because it was this adversity that shaped my resolve to go back to school and pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. After facing and beating cancer I learned three life lessons: life is short; there are no guarantees of how much time one has to accomplish one’s goals and dreams; if I was strong enough to beat cancer, continue to work full-time and take care of my kids, I must be a strong woman who can take on a lot, even college. Until last semester, I had not been a student for 33 years. Surviving these challenges has given me the confidence to go to college for the first time, pursue an education, and my teaching career.

Carolyn Pincock

Illinois Central College

Carolyn wrote the following in her essay:

My desire to teach has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. It has become as important to me as the air I breathe. I began teaching at five years of age when I would impart my new found knowledge upon my younger siblings. Throughout the years, life has afforded many opportunities to teach. When I hear students’ comments and see the understanding in their eyes, I feel satisfaction. “Thank you for teaching me” is my favorite response and motivates me. The more I am able to teach others, the stronger my desire to realize my lifelong dream of becoming an elementary teacher grows.

I have always wanted to be a teacher and a mother. Both career choices provide the greatest opportunity to reach others and influence the next generation of leaders. As I watch my children grow and learn – curious about the world around them, I want to instill the love of learning in others as I have them. Learning does not always come from a formal education, but the teachers that countless students encounter each day have untold impact on young lives. I want to teach that learning opens doors and helps a person become aware of a world beyond them. I want to keep the desire to learn and the fire I see in the eyes of young children alive. I also find that through a child’s view my own passion for learning also remains alive. The desire to impact another life for the better is a strong driving force to be the best example possible.

I want to be able to help train future generations who will become the leaders of tomorrow. I want to show that learning is a lifelong process, not one that stops with a degree. I want my future students to know the knowledge we glean from our education has a lasting impact on our lives as do the habits, talents, and traits we acquire. I can help influence these habits, talents, and traits as I teach young minds.